Bumper jack support with interchangeable blocks



y 1963 w. E. STEVENS 3,

BUMPER JACK SUPPORT WITH INTERCHANGEABLE BLOCKS Filed March 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //4 w 24 164 3 54 /9 4 9 /02 ms if I I l2 I 99 I 6 I34 52 64 5E? 32 N 7 20 H T 80 I80 I z I 66' 84 9 Fig. 2

William E Sfevns INVENTOR.

BY fin July 2, 1963 3,096,060

BUMPER JACK SUPPORT WITH INTERCHANGEABLE BLOCKS Filed March 22, 1961 w. E. STEVENS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

IN VENTOR.

3,096,060 Patented July 2, 1963 3,096,060 BUMPER JACK SUPPORT INTER- CHANGEABLE BLOCKS William E. Stevens, 2617 Taft St., Hollywood, Fla. Filed Mar. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 97,639 11 Ciaims. (Cl. 248-170) This invention relates to a novel and useful bumper jack support provided with interchangeable wedge blocks for adapting the bumper jack support for use with bumper jack standards of various sizes and shapes.

This invention is an improvement over my prior Patent No. 2,945,663, dated July 19, 1960, and also relates specifically to a bumper jack support adapted to provide bracing for the upper end of a bumper jack standard to prevent lateral displacement of the upper end of a bumper jack standard while the latter is being utilized to raise a vehicle.

The conventional type of bumper jack includes a jack standard having a lifting assembly mounted thereon for movement longitudinally of the standard in response to actuation of the operating lever. The jack standard is provided with a base and conventional types of bumper jacks rely on the frictional engagement of the base of the jack with the supporting surface and the frictional engagement between the bumper of the vehicle being lifted and the lifting assembly movably mounted on the jack standard for preventing the upper end of the jack standard from being laterally displaced. On flat ground the conventional type of bumper jack is fairly dependable if the operator of the jack takes precautionary measures insuring that the jack standard is vertically disposed and that the brakes of the vehicle being raised are applied. However, it is quite often necessary to raise a portion of a vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on an inclined supporting surface. In this instance, the conventional type of bumper jack is not dependable and serious injuries have in the past been inflicted upon persons attempting to raise a vehicle positioned on an inclined surface upon the slipping of the jack standard either at its upper end or at its lower end fiom beneath the vehicle being raised.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a bumper jack support which will give support to a conventional bumper jack standard that will greatly reduce the possibility of the upper end of the bumper jack standard being laterally displaced relative to the vehicle being raised.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bumper jack support which may be readily adjusted to brace the bumper jack standard in a vertical position relative to an inclined supporting surface.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bumper jack support provided with a plurality of supporting legs adapted to engage the supporting surface about the base of a bumper jack standard engaged therewith in order that the total weight of the vehicle being raised may be distributed partly to the supporting legs of the bumper jack support in addition to the base of the jack standard in order to eliminate the total weight of the vehicle being supported by the jack standard alone.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bumper jack support with bumper jack standard engaging means specifically adapted to wedgingly engage a bumper jack standard and to be urged into tighter frictional engagement with a bumper jack standard upon the tendency of the bumper jack support to move upwardly along a bumper jack standard.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a bumper jack support which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the lower portion of a jack standard shown with the bumper jack support of the instant invention mounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the assemblage shown in FIGURE 1, parts of the bumper jack standard being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of 'FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the wedge elements used in the bumper jack support;

'FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the bumper jack support, parts thereof being broken away and removed;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a connecting link utilized to connect the wedge element illustrated in FIG- URE 5 and the actuating handle and housing illustrated in FIGURE 6;

:FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 3 but showing a modified form of wedge element being utilized in place of the wedge element illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is an exploded perspective view of the wedge element illustrated in FIGURE 8; and

[FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the bumper jack support utilizing a modified form of wedge element similar to the wedge element illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional type of jack standard provided with a base 12. In FIGURE 2 of the drawings an intermediate portion of the jack standard 10 is omitted and it is to be noted that this omitted portion of the jack standard is to be provided with the conventional lifting assembly (not shown) which is movable longitudinally of the standard 10 in response to an actuating lever carried by the lifting assembly. This lifting assembly is provided with a lifting arm adapted to engage the undersurface of a vehicle bumper in order to lift the latter in response to upward movement of the lifting assembly relative to the jack standard '16.

The jack standard 19 is substantially V-shaped in crosssection and is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth 14 which are engageable by lifting members carried by the previously mentioned lifting assembly in order to move the lifting assembly longitudinally of the jack standard 10.

The upper jack support of the instant invention is gen erally designated by the reference numeral l6 and it will be noted in FIGURE 6 of the drawings that the bumper jack support 16 includes a housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 18 and an actuating handle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 20. The housing 18 includes a pair of opposite side walls 22 and 24 each provided with a pair of outturned apertured mounting lugs 26 and 28. The side walls 22 and 24 are interconnected at one end by means of a rear Wall 30 and a transverse pivot pin 32 is rigidly secured to the rear wall 30* in any convenient manner such as by welding '34. The housing 18 also includes a pair of front wall sections 36 and 38 which include mounting arms 49 and 42. The mounting arms 40 and 42 are provided with pairs of apertures 44 and 46 which are aligned.

It will also be observed from FIGURE 6 that the side walls 22 and 24 are provided with aligned vertically extending slots 48. Still further, the side walls 22 and '24 are each provided with an outwardly projecting pivot pin 56. It will be noted that the mounting lugs 26 and 28. are formed by striking portions of the side walls 22 and 24 outwardly of the planes in which the side walls 22 and 24 are disposed.

The actuating handle 26 includes a pair of half-sections 52 and 54 which are substantially identical with the exception that they are left and righthanded. Each halfsection 52 and 54 is provided with an aperture 56 rotatably j'ournaling the corresponding end portion of the pivot pin 32 and a cam wheel 58 is journaled between the arm portions 60 and 62 of the half-sections 52 and 54, respectively, by means of a pivot pin 64.

A pair of leg supports 66 and 68 are pivotally secured to the housing 18 by means of pivot pins 79 and 72, respectively, for movement about vertically extending axesdefined by the pivot pins 711' and 72. It will be noted that each of the leg supports 66 and 68 includes a pair of journal portions 74 and 7 3, see FIGURE 2, which rotatably journal the corresponding pivot pin. A pair of bracing legs 89 and 82 are pivotally secured at their upper ends to the leg supports 66 and 68, respectively, by means ofpivot pins 84 and 86, respectively. The lower ends of each of the legs 80 and 82 are provided with enlarged base portions 88 and 99, respectively, that are pivotally secured to the corresponding leg by means of a pivot pin 92. It will be noted that the support legs 86 and 82 are pivoted to the housing 18 for movement about vertically extending axes by means of pivot pins 70 and 72 and for movement at horizontally disposed axes by means of the pivot pins 84 and 86.

Each of the half-sections 52 and 54 is provided with an opening 94 including a fulcrum surface 96. Additionally, each of the half-sections 52 and 54 includes a downwardly opening notch 98 and it will be noted that when the housing 18 is disposed within the actuating handle 20 that the mounting lugs 26 project outwardly through the openings 94 while the mounting lugs 28 are received in the notches '98.

The wedge element in FIGURE of the drawings is generally U-shaped in configuration including a pair of side legs 100 which are interconnected by means of a transversely curved bight portion 102. The legs 160 are provided with pairs of aligned apertures 1G4 and 106 and it will be noted that the wedge element 99 is secured between the side walls of the housing 18 by means of a pin 168 secured through the aligned apertures 104 and having its opposite end portions slidably'received in the slots 48.

With attention directed to FIGURE 3 of the drawings it will be noted that a wedge element generally referred to by the reference numeral 110 is pivotally secured between the mounting arms 40 and 42 of the housing 18 by means of a pivot pm 112 having its opposite end portions disposed'through the aligned apertures 44. The wedge element 110 includes an overbalanced portion 114 having a plurality of teeth 116 disposed thereon for engagement with the teeth 14 of the jack standard 10. The wedge element 110 also includes an arcuate slot 118 in which the center portion of the cam well 58 is slidably received. It will be noted that the jack standard is disposed between the confronting surfaces of the wedge elements 99 and 110 and that the "arcuate bight portion 102 of the wedge element 99 engages the rear edge of the jack standard 10 while the teeth 116 engage the teeth 14of the jack standard 10.

With attention now directed to FIGURES 6 to 8 of the drawings it will be observed that a pair of connecting and lifting links generally designated by the reference 4 numeral 120 are provided for connecting the wedge element 99 and the actuating handle 20. Each of the connecting links 121' is provided with a curved end portion 122 suitably apertured as at 124 and a longitudinally extending slot 126 on the opposite end portion. An intermediate portion is provided with a laterally projecting cam pin 128' and it is to be noted that the connecting links 12!) are substantially identical with the exception that they are right and lefthanded. The curved end portions 122 are each pivotally secured to the housing'ld by means of the corresponding pivot pin 50 being rotatably received in the associated aperture 124 and it will be noted that the cam pin 128 of each of the connecting links 12% is received through the corresponding opening 94 and is engaged with the associated fulcrum sunface 96. The opposite ends of the pivot pin 103 by which the wedge element 99 is supported are slidingly disposed in V wall 36 is inclined relative to the outer surface 132 there-.

of. It is to be noted that the pivot pin 108 is frictionally secured through the apertures 104 and that the opposite ends thereof are loosely received in both pairs of slots 48 and 126.

In operation, the bumper jack support 16 is mounted on the standard 10 by raising the arm portions 60 and 62 which are interconnected at their free ends by means of a connecting pin 134. The raising of the free ends of the arm portions 641 and 62 will raise the cam wheel 58 which will in turn cause the wedge element 110 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The raising of the arm portions 60 and 62 will also raise the fulcrum surfaces 96 relative to the housing 18 whereupon the fulcrum surfaces 96 will cause the connecting links 120 to also pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. Thus, the free ends of the connecting links 121 provided with the slots 126 will be raised relative to the housing 18 and the wedge element 99 will also be raised. The raising of the wedge element 99 and the movement of the overbalanced portion 14 or" the wedge element 111] away from the wedge element 99 provides sufiicient clearance for the jack standard 11} to be received between the wedge elements 99 and 110'. The housing 18 is then properly adjusted together with the support legs and 82 in order that the jack standard It may be disposed vertically as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. It will be noted that if the supporting surface 136 is inclined relative to the horizontal that the support legs 80 and 82 may be pivoted about horizontal taxes as desired to engage the lower ends thereof with the support surface 136. Additionally, the leg supports 66 and 68 may be pivoted about the pivotpins 70 and 72 as desired in order to further adjust the jack support 16. The undersurfaces of the base portions 83 and 99 may be provided with suitable ground engaging elements to prevent the base portions 38 and from moving relative to the support surface 136.

After the housing 18 has been positioned and the legs 89 and 82 have been adjusted as desired, the free ends of the arm portions 61 and 62 are pivoted downwardly whereupon the cam wheel 58 will move downwardly relative to the pivot pin 112 in order to pivot the overbalanced portion 114 of the cam element toward the jack standard 10. .-At the same time, the lowering of the free ends of the arm portions 60* and62 will lower the free ends of the connecting links 1211 thereby lowering the wedge element 99 whereupon the inner surface of the rear wall 30 will urge the wedge element inwardly of the housing 18 and the arcuate bight portion 102 thereof into frictional engagement with the jack standard 10. It may be observed that any tendency of the housing 18 to move upwardly relative to the jack standard will result merely upon the overbalanced portion 114 of the wedge element 110 being rotated into tighter frictional engagement with the jack standard 10. Additionally, the surface 130 will tend to cam the wedge element 99 into tighter frictional engagement with the jack standard upon any tendency of the housing 18 to move upwardly along the jack standard 10. Thus, the raising of the free ends of the arm portions 66 and 62 will move the wedge elements 99 and 116 out of engagement with the jack standard it to enable the housing 18 to be positioned longitudinally along the jack standard 16*. After the housing 18 has been positioned as desired, the free ends of the arm portions 62 may then be lowered to cam the wedge elements 99 and 11% into tight frictional engagement with the jack standard ill.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 8 and 9 of the drawings there will be seen a modified form of wedge element generally designated by the reference numeral 140. The wedge element 14% includes a generally U-shaped wedge block 142 and a generally U- shaped Wedge member 144. The sides of the wedge block 1 .2 are suitably notched as at 146 and 148 and the mounting tabs and 152 carried by the legs 154 and 156 of the .wedge member 144 are received in the notches 146 and 14-8, respectively. The mounting tabs 15-8 and 152 are provided with pairs of aligned apertures 158 and 3.69. The wedge block 142 is fireely disposed in the housing 18 which includes a rear wall 33 having a vertical inner surface 13%. It will be observed that the bight portion 162 of the wedge block 142 is inclined relative to the rear wall 30' and that the free edges of the legs 154 and 156 on each side of the mounting tabs 159 and 152, respectively, are also inclined. The wedge element 14%) operates in substantially the same manner as the wedge element 99 and it will be noted that the Wedge block 142 is supported by means of its interlocking engagement with the mounting tabs 15% and 152 of the wedge member 144 which is in turn supported by the pivot pin being secured through the apertures 158 and having its opposite end portions loosely and slidably disposed in the slots 43' and 126' formed in the side walls 22' and 24' and the connecting links 120.

With reference now to FIGURE 10 of the drawings there will be seen a modified form of the wedge element 99 generally designated by the reference numeral 99'. The wedge element 99 is substantially identical to the wedge element 99 with the exception that the upper end thereof is provided with an apertured extension :168. The extension 158 has horizontally disposed and aligned apertures 170 formed therein and a transver e pin 172 is disposed through the slots 170 and has its opposite end portions secured in slotted extensions 1'74 carried by the half-sections 52" and the corresponding opposing halfsection (not shown) of the actuating handle 26''. Upon the raising of the free end of the actuating handle 2d" the slots will lift the opposite end portions of the transverse pin '72 to in turn lift the wedge elements 99 which may also be lifted by means of connecting links similar to connecting links 120. it will also be noted that the slots will urge the wedge element 99' downwardly when the free end of the actuating handle 2% is lowered.

The two pairs of apertures 44 and 46 are provided to enable the wedge element 114 to be adjustably positioned relative to the housing 13 and the two pairs of apertures 164 and 106 formed in the wedge element 9 provide adjustable positioning of the wedge element 99. In addition, the apertures 158 and 166 enable the wedge element 149 to also be adjustably positioned relative to the housing 18.

if it is desired, a bridle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 176 may be provided and secured between the lower ends of the standard 10 and the bracing legs 30 and 82, the latter having notches 178 formed therein for receiving the rings 18d and 182 secured to opposite ends or" the bridle assembly 17 6. The rings 18% and 182 are connected together by means of an elongated flexible bridle element 184- having a generally 6 U-shaped slide guide 186 slidably mounted on said element 184. The slide guide 186 slidingly embraces the standard and the rings and 182 are engaged with the legs 86 and 82.

The =foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

11. A support for a bumper jack standard comprising a housing adapted for sliding movement along a bumper jack standard, lock means adapted to lock said housing in selected positions, a pair of legs carried by said housing and diverging downwardly and outwardly from the latter adapted to form, with the lower end of said standard a triangular supporting base for the latter, said lock means including an actuating handle movably mounted on said housing, spaced first and second wedge means, means mounting said first and second wedge means in said housing for movement toward and away from each other and defining a passage therebetween through said housing adapted to receive said standard, means operatively connecting said first and second wedge means to said actuating handle for movement toward and away from each other in direct response to movement of said handle in opposite directions and adapted for wedging locking engagement with said standard when moved toward each other.

2. The combination of claim '1 including means for adjusting the maximum and minimum spacing "between said first and second wedge means.

3. The combination or" claim 2 wherein said first and second wedge means each includes a portion adapted for wedging engagement with said standard upon downward movement of said wedge means in said housing whereby upward movement of said housing relative to said jack standard will urge said first and second wedge means into tighter wedging engagement with said standard.

4. The combination of claim 1, and said housing including means for adjusting the maximum and minimum spacing between said first and second wedge means, said adjusting means including means for adjustably positioning one of said wedge means relative to said connecting means.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said first wedge means includes teeth adapted for engagement with said jack standard.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said first wedge means includes a pivoted wedge, said connecting means including means for pivotal movement of the toothed portion of said pivoted wedge toward said second wedge means in response to movement of said handle in one direction, said connecting means also including a connection between said handle and said second wedge means for raising the latter in said housing in response to movement of said handle in the opposite direction.

7. A support for a bumper jack standard comprising a housing adapted for sliding movement along a bumper jack standard, lock means adapted to lock said housing in selected positions, a pair of legs carried by said housing and diverging downwardly and outwardly from the latter adapted to form, with the lower end of said standard a triangular supporting base for the latter, said lock means including an actuating handle movably mounted on said housing, spaced first and second wedge means, said first wedge means being pivotally mounted in said housing, means mounted on said actuating handle urging said first wedge means pivotally downward into fixed friction-a1 engagement with the bumper jack standard upon downward movement of the actuating handle, and said second wedge means being sl-idably mounted in said housing for movea 7 men: toward said first Wedge means and into frictional engagement with the bumper jack standard upon said downward movement of said actuating handle.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the first and second wedge means remain in engagement with the jack standard during the normal use of said standard. 1

9. The combination of claim 8 including a pair of links pivotally and slidably secured at a first end to said second wedge means, and pivotally secured at the second end to the housing, and cam means on said actuating handle engageable with said links for substantially vertical slid-able movement of said second wedge means.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first wedge means is pivotally mounted in the housing for pivotal movement into and out of engagement with the jack 8 standard, and said second Wedge means is slidaoly mounted in the housing for sliding movement into and out of engagement with said jack standard.

11 1. The combination of claim 10 wherein said second wedge means slides in .-a substantially vertical direction and includes an inclined rear edge" engaged with a similar inclined edge for biasing said second wedge into engagement with said jack standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,481,445 Swanson Jan. 22, 1956 2,436,799 Frost Mar. 2, 1948 2,612,695 Schneider Oct. 7, 1952 

1. A SUPPORT FOR A BUMBER JACK STANDARD COMPRISING A HOUSING ADAPTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG A BUMPER JACK STANDARD, LOCK MEANS ADAPTED TO LOCK SAID HOUSING IN SELECTED POSITIONS, A PAIR OF LEGS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND DIVERGING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE LATTER ADAPTED TO FORM, WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID STANDARD A TRIANGULAR SUPPORTING BASE FOR THE LATTER, SAID LOCK MEANS INCLUDING AN ACTUATING HANDLE MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, SPACED FIRST AND SECOND WEDGE MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND WEDGE MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND DEFINING A PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN THROUGH SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID STANDARD, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND WEDGE MEANS TO SAID ACTUATING HANDLE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND ADAPTED FOR WEDGING LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STANDARD WHEN MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER. 